I recently wrote an article for GamecockCentral.com discussing whether or not I hated Clemson enough. During that article I explained how I gathered my research using the email-list I was a part of during football season that included South Carolina supporters and Clemson supporters. I quoted that email list's responses several times in that article. It can be found at GamecockCentral.com.

Below are numerous email responses that didn't make it into the final article but are still very entertaining. Think of this article sort of like the DVD-extras on a movie-dvd. These are the "deleted scenes" or "bonus features."

These emails are all valid comments made in the email thread. I did not embellish or make up any comments to make Clemson look bad. Anything that makes a team look bad was truthfully said via email by that Gamecock or Tiger supporter. All I did was pose questions to the group for the purpose of publishing my story. Below are comments that didn't make it into the story, but I thought were worth posting to my blog.

(Before getting lost in this long post make sure to check out the famous "Y'all Win?" Text Message article here too.)

Why do you hate Clemson (or Carolina) ?

From a Carolina Supporter:
I hate Clemson because they are orange and smell like a mixture of gun-powder and Redman spittoons.

From Carolina supporter:
My hatred of Clemson is based on three things:
1. Clemson fans I know that are complete jerks.
2. Clemson fans I don't know that are complete jerks.
3. Clemson fans that will be born in the future and grow up to be complete jerks.

Marty's question to the group:
So if someone is taught by their parents the same in-born hatred of Carolina (as you have been taught to hate Clemson), and goes through life never changing that opinion, and thinks of you as less of a person for your love of Carolina ---- which one of you is wrong?

And to a larger point -- does this mean that half the people in the world are indeed less of a person for liking the wrong team in the mix? Is it the Michigan fans or the Ohio State fans that are less of a person for liking their team? I have already concluded it's the Auburn fans that are less of a person in that one.

Carolina supporter's response:
Neither. It's called a rivalry. I actually think less of those Clemson fans (and Carolina fans for that matter) that pull for the other school when they're not playing each other. It's a rivalry - hate each other dangit. It's not right vs. wrong. It's sports. It's not abortion or atheism. We all have our opinions, our backgrounds, our allegiances. Each of us can pull for, or hate, whoever we want to and I reserve my right to hate Clemson and everything orange.

I hate Clemson

(Noteworthy: This person signs all their emails with "I hate Clemson" even if those emails are not about football.)

Marty's Follow-Up Question:
So what about Wingo's dad? He's a traitor?

Carolina supporter's response (same guy as response above):
Yes!

Another response from someone else in the email thread about Wingo's dad:
I'm fine with Scott Wingo playing for Carolina. Leggett didnt recruit him. What I'm not fine with is Wingo's mom being all "They wanted him" on a Nationally Televised Interview spitting in Clemson's face. Yes, we didnt want your son and he's a good player. Clemson probably made a mistake but don't be talking crap so you can get pats on the back at Fountain Inn Baptist Church and at your local Fatz Cafe on Half Off Wings Night.

New Question From Marty
Would you say it's reasonable to assume, that as a child, you also thought that anyone that disagreed with you for hating Clemson was somehow less of a person?"

Carolina supporter's response:
I've never found any good reason NOT to hate Clemson. Yes, certainly less of a person. Not just sports, though mainly sports. I did have friends growing up that hated Carolina and loved Clemson, and yes, I do think less of them for that fact alone.

Question From Marty:
Why do Clemson folks act like they have had TOTAL DOMINATION over the years when the truth of the matter is Clemson has really only won about 2 for every 1 of Carolina's wins. USC is 35% or so over the last 100 years. That's not total domination like UT has over Vanderbilt. Clemson does have the upper-hand historically, but not total domination.

Clemson fan's response:
I will not sugarcoat it. These past 2 butt kickings have been beyond awful and unbearable. It feels like it's been 10 years since Clemson beat South Carolina. There is no rationalizing out of this total suckfest. And if I am around in 40 years and South Carolina has gone on a 28-12 run and I am saying things like "well at least it hasn't been 29 out 30", just end it for me. I will clearly have lost it.

New Question From Marty:
Do you hate the FANS of the rival more than the actual TEAM/Players/Coaches/School etc...?

Carolina supporter's response:
Kind of a mixed reaction here. I hated Danny Ford. I hated Tommy. Dabo is just annoying. I've never hated a Clemson player I don't think. I loved Jad Dean. It's hard to "hate" a college kid who's just out there playing ball. So, I guess it's just the fans. And it's not personal, it's just sports. But the disdain is real. Really real.

Carolina supporter #2's Response to the Same question:
I hated Reggie Bush, Scam Newton and Matt Leinert - because they were tools and got away with murder and they were just smug.

I actually was happy for Gaines Adams getting a big pay day and I pulled for him in the NFL before he died. I'd like to think most Clemson fans felt the same about Kenny Mckinley when he turned pro - then were genuinely sad when he died. This is because I liked the actual players. I think that clemson fans also probably would pull for Lattimore in the NFL because he's just a good guy.

I'm also sure clemson fans hated Tanneyhill and rightly so.

Clemson supporter #2's response to the same question:
I've actually got a story where I was treated poorly by a Carolina fan who was just plain angry about the score. I didn't do anything to him, yet he thought I did and tried to have me arrested. It was other Carolina fans who talked to the cops and convinced them I didn't do anything wrong. True story. End of story was Fletcher Anderson kicking our 63rd point.

New Question From Marty:
When is your first memory of losing to either Carolina or Clemson?

Clemson supporter's response:
1992 was my first real memory of Clemson losing to USC. I was 11 years old & I didn't think it was possible before that. My world was shattered. Then my uncle shows up at Thanksgiving in the Taneyhill fake pony tail dirt-neck hat. We still aren't on speaking terms.

Marty's comment back to this response:
Just to be clear.... Taneyhill hair is bad... Watkins hair is good?

Other Generally Funny Comments Made in the Email Thread

From Clemson Guy: (after the NC State game)
South Carolina will pillage Clemson. I will be there to witness.

From Clemson Guy:
Clemson also lost to Cremins in bball tonight. Dumpster fire on all fronts. Btw I am on the way to Clemson and am going to egg the ever living crap out of Tajh's house.

After the NC State Loss from a Clemson guy:
Here’s what’s going to happen:

USC’s front will DESTROY our OL, absolutely destroy. You’ll be able to drop everyone else back and do enough to disrupt routes. Taj will try to make something happen but be over aggressive and have 3 Ints (maybe one for 6)

Shaw will rush the ball for 106 yards and a score (see Maryland) he’ll also have two score’s through the air, One to Ace on a deep ball and one in the corner to Jeffrey.

The Blythewood kid will rush the ball 22 times for 125 and a score.

Final will be 28-3.

I am very confident in the coaches from the other side formulating a game plan (and working successfully) and have no confidence in our coaches formulating a game plan (see GT (Steele), see Maryland (Steele), See Wake (Steele, Morris), See NC State (Dabo (if you can call him a coach) (Morris) (this is one game I’ll give steele a pass bc our offense sucked a nasty one).

After this…Jonathon Bullard commits to USC. Marshall goes to ND. Gurley commits to GA. We go home to prepare for the ACC championship…get manhandled by VT…Dabo looks confused. And we go to Nashville for the Music City Bowl…

From a Carolina Guy:
I’ve thought about doing this on every South Carolina game where the line is less than a touchdown. I’ve never gambled money on a game and I have no idea how to do it (perhaps one of you could send a tutorial).

But I’ve often thought – hey, this is a game that I really want to win. I’ll bet 50 bucks that we won’t win, and if I’m right – at least I make some money – and if I’m wrong the gamecocks win and I’m glad to see that 50 bucks leave. The classic ‘hedge your bets’ scenario. Am I the only one?

From a Carolina Guy the Sunday after the NC State game:
So, this church my wife and I have been going to has a pastor who is a Clemson fan. Every week since football season started he has said something in his sermon about Clemson winning (and usually something about Carolina losing or almost losing), which I think is kind of annoying, but not a big deal. We were out of town the weekend of the GT game, so I don't know what he had to say about that. Yesterday, he got up and gave his sermon and didn't say anything at all about the game. I wanted to go up during the "response time" and tell him that he was remiss in not doing so, but I decided to stick with communion. But if you are going to talk smack to your congregation (which might just alienate half of them), you've got to be fair about it, don't you?

My response (Marty's response) to the question asked of the group, "Who makes a better Civil War General, Spurrier, Dabo, or Saban?"

Spurrier on why his troops lost the battle:
"We're just not that good a troop right now. We make stupid mistakes. Guess I gotta do a better job trainin' 'em up."

Dabo on why his troops lost the battle:
"Must not have been God's plan for us to win this bleeping thing... bleep! Whooooaaa!! I love my troops and I'll fight for 'em till they all are dead. Amen. (wipes a tear.)"

Sabon on why his troops lost the battle:
"Don't bleepin' talk to me right now, I got some butts to cut."

From a Carolina Guy:
My sister-in-law went to Clemson and graduated in 09. We try not to talk about her much. She and her boyfriend came over to our house for dinner last night along with the rest of my wife's family. He had on a Clemson hat when he walked in the door and immediately realized his mistake and threw it in the corner. As I was turning out the lights later I noticed he'd left it in the corner. I shot him a text that I'll give the hat quarter until sundown today. If it's still in my house at that time I'm going to burn it in my front yard. I don't even want it seen in my trash. Yes, I secretly hope he forgets it today.

I hate Clemson.

To all the Clemson fans that keep telling me that you guys never bad-mouth your own here is one response in the email thread after the Georgia Tech loss.From Clemson supporter in email:
Steele sucks & I hate him. He will never beat Georgia Tech as long as he coaches.

On the topic of 30 Conference Championships AND 30 Losses to Clemson or vice versa.

From a Clemson supporter:
Best possible scenario for USC is for Clemson to be 0-12 every year. And vice versa. This cannot be disputed. That's not hate, that's just logic. That being said, there has never once been a second of my life that I did not hate with every fiber of my being the Raging Toilet Bowl Fire that is the University of South Carolina.

From Carolina supporter:
If we curb stomp Clemson and so does everyone else every year we get our pick of the best recruits in the state rather than split an already small state with another competitive school. So, it's not just hating Clemson, I mean that's part of it, but it's wanting there to be only one real choice to stay in state and play major college football... if in fact the ACC is "major."

From a Carolina Supporter:
If Clemson lost every game ever played from now till the end of time - All would be well. I will probably never go back up to Clemson for a game because I get physically Ill - I just do - I hate that place. While I wouldn't want to harm anyone - I wouldn't mind if that whole place burned to the ground.

From Carolina supporter discussing whether or not he wants Clemson to beat NC State and be ranked fifth playing USC:
Nope. Best thing is for Clemson to lose Saturday. And then lose to USC. And then lose in the ACC Championship game. And then to lose bowl game. And then to go 0-12. And then repeat this process for fifty years!

From a Clemson supporter before The Citadel game:
I don't care what USC is ranked when we play. Tomorrow, I want The Citadel to walk into that pathetic excuse of an adandoned crack whorehouse of a stadium, score 70, leave the entire football team in stretchers, then go into the stands and begin pillaging the fans.

From a Clemson Supporter during the second quarter of the NC State game:
My son is wearing a clemson shirt. He is still in diapers. Somehow the diaper didn't stop him from exploding his boopy all over his shirt. Maybe he understands what is happening to the Tigers right now. I am taking a picture of this and sending it to Steele.

From Clemson supporter near the end of the NC State game:
Anyone that thinks Clemson has any shot whatsoever against South Carolina is a raging idiot. I have never be more sure of anything. But the San Fran Bowl opponent better watch out.

From coach to comedian: Marty Simpson is a former USA Today high school All-American and collegiate Academic All-Conference player for USC who scored the Gamecocks' first 6 points in the SEC. During 8 years as a high school varsity coach, Simpson led his team to the state finals and saw one player advance to set an NFL rookie record. Simpson now divides his time between his family, running a multimedia company named Blue-Eyed Panda and getting the same pre-game jitters by performing stand-up comedy nationwide.